In Sính Phình commune, alongside key crops such as tea, maize, and upland rice, in recent years the local people have gradually expanded the cultivation area of amomum under the forest canopy, contributing to economic development.

According to Mrs. Giàng Thị Là, Deputy Head of the Economic Office of Sính Phình commune, in recent years the Commune People’s Committee has coordinated to promote and implement many projects and household economic development models. Amomum has been one of the medicinal plants promoted in recent years, aiming to accelerate crop and livestock restructuring and create diverse livelihoods for the people.

The main variety grown in Sính Phình is red amomum. The commune has nearly 20 hectares of red amomum supplied and planted under a project of the National Target Program on Sustainable Poverty Reduction, distributed across villages such as Là Xa, Tả Phìn, Séo Phình, and Tà Dê.

With characteristics of being easy to grow, resistant to pests, and requiring little care, if well maintained, the plant starts bearing fruit after 2-3 years. The harvesting cycle of amomum can last more than 6 years. During the harvest season, traders come directly to purchase, and in recent years, prices have remained stable, ranging from VND 60,000-85,000 per kilogram of fresh fruit.

These days, beneath the forest canopy, laughter and chatter fill the air as clusters of deep red amomum fruits are harvested. Baskets large and small are filled to the brim, bringing in a considerable source of income and contributing to improving livelihoods.

Mr. Chăng A Sò, from Là Xa village, Sính Phình commune, one of the households that escaped poverty thanks to amomum, shared: His family has 0.6 hectares of amomum planted in 2018, and now all of it is producing. Thanks to favorable natural conditions and soil, the plants grow stably and require little care, resulting in low production costs and high economic efficiency. This year, with traders buying at VND 70,000 per kilogram of fresh fruit, the family earned about VND 40 million.

Recognizing the high economic value of amomum, households in Là Xa village are gradually restructuring their crops. Forest canopy areas, sloping land, and humid areas near streams are intercropped with amomum. The village has 78 households, of which 25 are poor. In 2024, 15 households received support of about 10,000 seedlings and newly planted 12 hectares of amomum. With this new area, it is expected that households will gradually exploit the advantages of local soil and climate to develop their household economies.

The expansion of amomum cultivation does not rely solely on projects and programs. In Là Xa village, from the initial area supplied with seedlings and technical guidance, local people have continued to care for, self-propagate, and expand their amomum plots.

Mr. Chăng A Tằng, one of the pioneering amomum growers in Là Xa village, shared: Most of his family’s amomum plants are already bearing fruit. With this year’s purchasing price, his family’s estimated income is nearly VND 60 million. The 3,000 m² plot of amomum planted in 2018 is now fully harvested, and when the rains subside, the family will weed, thin, and expand the area. At present, the family’s total amomum cultivation area is about 1 hectare.

With its high economic efficiency and suitability to the natural conditions of the Northwest mountains, amomum is expected to become a long-term livelihood crop, contributing to poverty reduction, improving incomes, and stabilizing the lives of local people.